I've been up on Crooked I for quite a few years now. I remember hearing a freestyle he spit over Clipse's Grindin' on Sway & Tech's Wake Up Show back in 2003...and though just about anyone could sound like a superstar over that grimey ass beat...I could just tell that this dude was gonna be a problem. Once I listened to a few more of his tracks my suspicions proved right on. Crooked had all the tools: the voice, the lyrics, the flow, the delivery, and that unmistakable West Coast attitude. He made an immediate impression on the underground and drifted to a bunch of labels in the mid-late 90's before gaining enough buzz to be one of the first signed to the reformed Death Row Records in 1999 while Suge Knight was still in prison. Unfortunately, Crooked ended up like many other up-and-coming artists, and kept getting his album delayed & pushed back because of label politics. Finally fed up, he left Death Row in 2004 and signed with Universal. He has managed to stay relevant on the West Coast by releasing critically acclaimed mixtapes Young Boss volumes 1 & 2. Flash forward to spring 2007...while preparing to finally release his debut album "B.O.S.S. Music" he was trying to come up with a way to generate buzz. His idea: drop a new freestyle every week until his album dropped. And like that..."Hip Hop Weekly" was born.

During the last week of March, Crooked dropped the first edition of Hip Hop Weekly over 50's "Straight To The Bank". At the end of his verse he promised to "be back next week" and sure enough dropped another week after week like clockwork. He leaked each new "Hip Hop Weekly" onto Dubcnn.com & his official Myspace page which quickly generated a buzz throughout the Internet. His Myspace page soon began flooding with comments, friend requests, and fans suggesting which instrumental he should rhyme over the next week. Plus Just Blaze and a gang of other rappers & producers took notice and began co-signing Crooked's undeniable skills. All the attention has only added fuel to the fire and Crooked has continued releasing a new freestyle every Wednesday for over 22 weeks now. The industry and his label have taken notice and we can expect his album to FINALLY drop this October.

OK enough of me hyping up this dude...the music should speak for itself.

The infamous Grindin' freestyle back in 2003 on Sway & King Tech's Wake Up Show.



HIP HOP WEEKLY (THE MIXTAPE COMPILATION)
* Week 1 - Straight To The Bank (50)
* Week 2 - I'm Throwed (Paul Wall)
* Week 3 - Vibe Wit' A "Bo$$" / Take You There (DPG)
* Week 4 - 2nd Coming (Juelz)/ Tuck Ya Ice (Trick Daddy)
* Week 5 - Umbrella (Rihanna)/ We Takin' Over (DJ Khaled)
* Week 6 - Get It Shawty (Lloyd) / Amusement Park (50)
* Week 7 - Cruisin' / Just The King (8-Ball & MJG)
* Week 8 - Make Me Better (Fabolous)
* Week 9 - Deep Cover (Snoop)
* Week 10 - You Know My Steez (Gangstarr)
* Week 11 - Boy Looka Here (Rich Boy) / Go Getta (Remix) (Jeezy)
* Week 12 - Big Shit Poppin' (T.I.)
* Week 13 - International Players Anthem (UGK)
* Week 14 - Pop, Lock & Drop It (Huey)
* Week 15 - Can't Tell Me Nothing (Kanye)
* Week 16 - My Bitch
* Week 17 - Oh My God (Jay-Z)
* Week 18 - Uh Oh (Ja Rule)
* Week 18.5 - Died In Your Arms (Smitty)
* Week 19 - Real Muthaphuckkin G's (Eazy E)
* Week 20 - Big Spender (Freeway)
* Week 21 - Blueprint 2 (Jay-Z)

**CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HIP HOP WEEKLY WEEKS 1-21**

**CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CROOKED I'S 1ST SINGLE "N.W.A."**

Trust me...Download the tape & give Crooked a chance.
He rips 90% of these beats better than the original artists and I'm not exaggerating.
Leave a comment & let me know what y'all think.